Bruised Heart
by soccergrrl62
Summary: Massie Block hates her life. So does Derrick Harrington. When these two meet, will romance brew? What will happen in the end? One-shot!


**Okay, hey. I'm soccergrrl62 (duh!) and this, my friends, is my first story. So I would really really really appreciate it if you reveiwed it. It means a lot. But I'm not going to be like, forceful, or anything. I just really hope you do. :) :) :) :) :) :)**

**P.S. And of course, this is a Massingtone. XD**

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Life whistles around me as I speed full on my steed, Brownie. I felt like I was flying, no one could stop me now. The flowers that I used to marvel at were a blur, and a tear escaped my eyes. Up the hill we went, to an unknown place. But Brownie didn't care; he just kept on going forward at full speed. I was going to stop him, but the wind backed away my arm, so I couldn't pat him. My brain was the one who was the sensible one, but right now, everything was shut down.

A 16-year old girl shouldn't go alone, they argue. But I disagree, I was a teenager. Pretty soon, I would have to take care of myself, and what was a better way to get me ready than this? They still wouldn't let me go, so I snuck out in the middle of the night. I never really liked my parents anyway. They were always at work, and they came home to yell at each other. My mom was a psycho freak, who just started smoking, and my dad was an alcoholic. When he got mad he abused me and my siblings. Yesterday, he hit my brother with a beer bottle, sending him to the hospital, and then fled away. I didn't say good-bye to them. Not that I wanted to.

My friends were nice, and then middle school came. They started dressing up, wearing makeup, and doing other things to get them to be popular. I, being the only one wearing a baggy shirt, soon felt left out. While they got invited to parties, I stayed at home, watching my parents fight it out, and crying myself to sleep. When I announced that I was going to run away, my friends just laughed like they knew I wasn't. I didn't tell them I was serious.

School started getting hard, and my grade from A's to F's. Teachers started hating me, and gave me detentions for reading in class. The only teacher that actually likes me was my English teacher, Mrs. Lyons. She smiled at my great writing structure, and praised me for my excellent outlines. Even though she looked probably one decade older than me, she spoke to me like I was really her age, instead of how all the other teachers treat me, like I was a piece of junk. She didn't care that I was reading books in her class. She was the only true friend I had at my school, and she took it hard when I was running away.

"What?" Mrs. Lyons said softly. She always said things quietly, so she never makes you feel bad. And she is always calm, which sometimes gets a bit frustrating, but it's better than having her rant out a lecture to you.

"I'm running away." I repeated, in case she didn't hear then first time. After all, she did say what.

"Why?" Another thing I like about Mrs. Lyons is that she never screams at you and makes you feel bad. She respects everyone's choices, even if their bad. If a normal person was in my position, they would probably not think of anything, and feel flustered, and decide not to run away. But I am not normal.

"Because. My life stinks." There. I said it. I have been trying to get this off my chest for so long.

"How does your life stink? I mean, you have a lot of friends, and you get straight A's." I had to snort at that one. Seriously? She thought I had straight A's?

Breaking a pencil, I reply. "You see this pencil?" I hold it up. "This pencil is probably straighter then my A's. And the only friend I actually have is you." After admitting the truth, I lay back, wondering what she would say.

Letting out a defeating sigh, Mrs. Lyons gives in. "Fine, but come right back. I don't care what happens. Just come back." With her eyes filled with tears she mutters, "I'll miss you. Be safe." And then she hugs me.

"Same here," I reply, my voice oozing confidence. But on the inside, I was falling apart. I wished my parents were here so they could say the same things that Mrs. Lyons said. But knowing them, they probably were having another fight to care that one of their children was missing.

My eyes brim with tears as I think of my little sister. She was the only one in the family that I actually loved. I was hoping to teach her how to become a good little girl, and not sellouts like her parents. But, last month, she was the only one at home, and my dad was in his office, drinking. She was sucking on something, being the little baby she was, and she accidentally swallowed it. My dad, being the selfish parent he was, didn't hear the little cries she was barely making, and then, eventually, she died. That was the final straw for me. That and the fact that I was the only one that showed up at her funeral which I paid for.

I finally reached the top of the mountain, and the wind was blowing slower. Brownie finally slowed down after I tripled-tapped him. Life was moving and energetic around here. The leaves on the trees rustled in the wind, and the wildflowers swayed in the wind. The leaves were dancing, as the wind brought them up in the air. Suddenly, green, red, orange, and brown things slashed my face, and then finally, lay on the grounds, dead. Lightning stomped on them, just to make sure, and the crunching sound filled my ears, mimicking me and my future.

There was wildlife, in a distance, you could see rabbits, and they were tame, you could tell since they didn't run away. One even came up to me, and it was so small. The pink shiny noise looked like a button, and its white furry coat was like it was snow. I fought the feeling to roll over in it. Suddenly, a dog came up, and started chasing at the rabbits, which fled to their shelter. The little one across from me didn't move, however, and it kept on staring at me. The dog came slowly towards the little one, and before you knew it, the dog was racing towards my furry little friend. I quickly picked up the rabbit and tripled tapped Brownie again. The horse sped off.

On the way, I thought about there could not possibly be a dog in the wilderness. That was like having a wolf in a nursery, something didn't feel right. Maybe it belonged with as owner. Shivers were sent down my spine, as I quickly shook that thought out of my head. No one would ever think of coming up here.

But as suddenly as I thought that, I heard a person screaming. "Dino!"

Freezing, I turn around. No one can possibly see me here, I assure myself. But then, the dog starts running towards me. Oh, great.

"Dino! Come back!" I heard footstep get louder. I didn't care that the dog was tearing into my bag, probably not only smelling the rabbit, but all the food I brought with me. Finally, the boy caught up. And I couldn't stop staring.

All my friends talk about love, and how they feel so happy when their boyfriends kiss them and all that. I called them pussies then, because I didn't know how it felt. But looking in his twinkling blue eyes that seemed to be amused by me, I was mesmerized. His lips were naturally red, and the freckle above his upper lip made him more noticeable. His face didn't contain a single pimple, and was airbrushed in every way. His messed up blonde hair looked like he had been running. His muscles indicated that he played a sport. For the first time in my life, I felt insecure, and I pulled my side bangs down.

"Hi, sorry." He stumbled across words. What was he having trouble over? Me? Ha, nice joke. My brown hair matched my sullen brown eyes, and it lay limp and flat. Even though I never had a pimple, I never put on make-up. This caused all of my "friend's" boyfriends to call me ugly when my "friend's" weren't listening. Mrs. Simmons husband, however, came in the middle of lunch. I was there, of course, because I had nowhere else to sit. He had black hair that was thinning and green eyes that were dull, but his personality was bubbling. He sat with me and talked with me for an hour, and when Mrs. Simmons went to the bathroom, he didn't call me ugly, he just asked more questions. And when Mrs. Simmons was there, he couldn't stop making googly-eyes at her, and vice versa. It was not that disgusting though, and I didn't really mind it. And when they shared a good-bye kiss, I could only sigh and dream about when I grow older and get kisses like that. I never thought it would actually happen though.

"It's okay." I mumble. "Why are you here anyway?" As soon as those words left my mouth, I soon regretted them. What if he thought I was snobby? What if I accidentally implied that I wanted him to go?

"Dino loves walking here." He started. "I can't blame him. It's all secluded and quiet. I try not to go this way though, because he goes after the rabbits, but I felt a feeling that I should go." He looks away, like if he was telling me all his secrets. I might as well return the favor.

"Yeah, mean either. Actually, this is the first time I came here." _And the last. _

"Why were you coming up here?" He asked, mimicking me.

"Oh," I start, and then mentally slapped myself. He probably thought I was boring already. "I'm running away."

"Oh really? That's cool." He says with a sincere smile, making his light brown dimples show. "I always wanted to run away. I just didn't know where. I thought New York, like in that book, Catcher and the Rye." He says, then wiped me a grin, showing off his white teeth. "What is your name anyway? Mine is Derrick."

"Massie." I say with confidence.

"Really? Is that even a name?" Derrick blurts out, and then quickly reddens. I don't know if his cheeks are suddenly turning red because he said something really rude, or because he said something really rude in front of his crush. This would be me. I sigh, knowing that is never going to happen.

"Well, my real name is Samantha, but that was way too regal and common for me. I tried then to find a name that fit me. And Massie fits the bill quite fine." I state.

"Well, Massie, you said you've never been here before, right?" He asks. I nod my head in response like a bobble-head.

"Follow me?" He says it more like it a question, instead of a statement. I follow him, and he looks pleased.

"Look down, but don't lean forward." I do, and what I see is amazing. Everything looks so tiny, it is a miracle. I see nothing but trees and flowers. It's the perfect place.

We sit down, and we grow comfortable of each other. We start cracking up for no reason, and I realize, for the first time in my life, these laughs are real.

I tired of procrastinating a question that I want to ask him. "What is your status in school?"

"Huh?" He asks, but from the way he is sweating, I know he knows what I am talking about.

"Like, are you popular, jock, outcast?" I reply.

"Um, popular." He says, and then his voice changes completely. Like, a serious tone, as if we were talking about the Earth falling into pieces. "And a jock. The guy every girl wants to date. And the guy that aces all of his subjects. The it guy." He finally finished, and looked at me expectantly.

"I am the complete opposite," I announce. "I can't play a sport, all the guys call me ugly, the only friend I have is the English teacher and I'm failing school." I look at him, expecting him to run away. But he stays.

"Have you ever been kissed?" Derrick asks. When I shake my head no, he leans in. Our lips touch, and my life feels okay again. All my insecurities are gone. Fireworks are going off, or are that in my brain? Is this what love feels like? I want to meet my friends and tell them that I was wrong, and love was wonderful. But I can't turn back now. I pull away, at the same time he does. I'm thinking the word whoa over and over again.

Are you a people person?" I asked. Wait, what? Where did that come from?

"No," he admits. "Actually, I hate my life! My friends are just using me, and my girlfriend is cheating on me. My dad died in the war, and my mom turned emo. I can't invite my friends over, because she will probably be there cutting her hand." He throws his head back and laughs. Not like in a joking way, but in an 'I finally got this off my chest' way. I know because I had that laugh.

"Same here!" I say cheerfully. Probably because I had someone to share my life with. But he looks down, with the mini trees and flowers and holds out his hand. I smile and take it. And we both jump off.

Jumping off a cliff is amazing. The best way of dyeing if you ask me. You have the feeling your troubles are over, mixed in with the feeling that you are flying makes you feel invincible. Especially when you are holding hand with a guy who likes you for whom you are. Derrick grins, and pulls me in closer, even with the wind blowing us away. I suddenly remember this book I read when I was a child, Goodnight Moon.

"Goodnight Derrick." I say, with an aura of happiness. I hear the whinnying from my horse Brownie, and the barks from his dog, Dino.

"Goodnight Massie." He replies back, and that was the last sound I heard.

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